Wellbeing at the heart of the iQ experience

Giving students their best year yet is our mission at iQ and something we strive to do, day in, day out. We know that university can be both an exciting and a daunting time. Living away from home for the first time, managing time, money and workloads and making friends from scratch in a new setting requires courage, skills and effort.  How students approach these challenges has a huge impact on their university experience, the opportunities they take and the choices they make.

We know what an important role accommodation plays in the overall university experience, from being the place that students call home to providing the right kind of environment to make friends, study, cook and eat well, sleep well, and of course, have fun.

In 2019 we launched a campaign, Embrace the Unexpected, specifically focused on enhancing student wellbeing, through tailored research and a subsequent programme for our iQ residents. Working with our charity and expert partners (Relate and SHOUT) we are confident that our wellbeing programme is and will continue to make a genuine difference to our residents. 

SHOUT is a free, confidential, 24/7 mental health support text line. We have partnered with the charity for the coming academic year to offer support for students who might need support with issues such as stress, anxiety, loneliness, depression, relationships or bullying. The service can be accessed from anywhere, at anytime, by a UK mobile service user.

Relate is the UK's largest provider of relationship support, and in 2019 helped over two million people – including young people – to strengthen and build relationships. We commissioned and published a report with Relate to better understand the impact that loneliness can have on some students and how to help them feel more connected.

Through this programme,  we aim to equip students for life in and beyond university by giving them the best tools and environment to develop and learn as young people. And we want to use our national reach, and the important part we play in students’ lives, to make a positive difference.